


Rehearse

by Dociro



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 12:54:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13008213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dociro/pseuds/Dociro
Summary: Rose and James are university students, they both take part in the christmas play. Rose isn't exactly thrilled about it.





	Rehearse

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Skyler10](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyler10/gifts).



> It's my secret santa gift for @skyler10fic on tumblr. Merry Christmas!

It was Rose’s first year at university. She absolutely loved it. She moved from London to Scotland and started studying art. She liked the feeling of being independent and she loved the course.

Rose also loved the new people she’d met. In the short time since the new academic year started she made dozens of friends. All the people there were very open and nice. Well, almost all of them, because there was James Noble.

He was too open and too curious. Fore some reason, he was taking part in her classes. He was from a totally different department, but he was everywhere and Rose had been seeing him all the time. James was constantly interrupting the lectures, asking them millions of questions and sometimes even correcting the things they said because, of course, he knew better. It wasn’t that the things he said were useless, because he clearly had knowledge, but it was very disturbing and Rose really wanted to pass her exams.

He seemed to have been very friendly and even tried to talk to her once or twice when they were standing in a bigger group, but she would usually pretend not to hear him.

____

 

At the beginning of November, she saw a notice about the panto casting that the university students were going to stage, and she decided to take her chance.

Unfortunately, so did James. Of course he did. He really was everywhere. Rose decided to ignore him and do her best during the casting. They both got the roles. Rose knew that the next few weeks were going to be a horror.

The rehearsals started the following Monday after classes. Rose was there first, so when he appeared a short moment after her, there was nowhere to hide.

“Hello,” he smiled at her. “I don’t think we ever had a chance to talk. I’m James.”

„Yeah, I know.” She muttered in reply. When she looked at him there was a frown on his face.

After a few moments it became clear that she would’t add more he asked. “And you are Rose Tyler, right?”

“Exactly.” Rose replied.

“You all right?” He asked a bit concerned.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” she smiled tightly at him.

“Okay...” He probably wanted to ask about something else, but a group of other students and the director came there and Rose quickly went to join them, leaving him behind.

——

Just as she thought, the rehearsals were going horrible. As usual, James had suggestions for everything in the script, and there had always been something that in his opinion could have been changed and done better. Jack, the director, sometimes agreed and allowed him to act differently, but he still had new propositions.

“Jesus, James, give yourself and us a break,” Rose snapped one day. “The script written by Jack is brilliant. It’s funny, it has these clever references and you want to change everything. What is your problem?”

James looked at her with huge eyes then he visibly shook his head and replied. “My problem? What is your problem? You reject every single suggestion I make and play it in other way. You had problems even with the ones that Jack accepted. You don’t even tell me why. Pfff... you never talk to me outside of the rehearsal. The speech you gave a minute ago was probably the most you ever said to me.”

“Maybe, I just really don’t like talking to you. Or, well, you in general.”

“What?” James squeaked. “What the hell did I do to you?”

“You act like you know it all, you are everywhere, and you don’t take into account what other people think. You are full of yourself,” she then faced Jack. “Sorry, I think I won’t be able to continue today. Let’s call it a day, okay?”

“Yeah, sure, Rosie.” Jack answered and she took her stuff and left the room.

_____

They continued with the arguments until one day James appeared at the rehearsal and was met with Reinette instead of Rose.

“What is happening, Jack? Where is Rose?”

“She caught a cold. Five days left to the premiere, she won’t be able to play. Reinette knows the lines. She got the script in case of a situation like that. She’s going to play instead of Rose.”

“No. I won’t play without Rose. She knows the updated lines. We fit together, she knows what to do when I do something spontaneous. She is going to play. Let me take care of it.” He grabbed his coat and run to the exit.

——

A few hours later there was knocking on Rose’s dorm door. She groaned and turned on her other side hiding under the quilt. When the knocking didn’t stop, she stood and opened the door.

“What are you doing here?” She asked James, who was standing on the other side. “I already feel awful. I don’t need you to make it worse.”

“Well, actually, I came to try and make it better,” he nodded at the bags in his hands. “We don’t even have to talk, but you’ll recover, and I’ll help, because there is no way I’m going to play with Reinette.”

“Reinette is going to replace me?”

“Yeah, you won’t allow it, will you?”

“Ehhh okay. Come inside. But what if I’m going to get you infected?"

“Nah, I have a brilliant immune system. I’ll be fine,” he said while putting the bags on the table. “Go to bed and I’ll bring you some soup.”

“You brought soup?”

“I made the soup, Rose Tyler.”

“Yeah, of course you did.”

He grinned at her and went to the kitchenette to heat the food.

He came back a few minutes later with a bowl full of steaming liquid. “Here, eat it. How are you feeling?”

“Awful, my head feels like it’s going to explode and my throat is killing me.”

“I’m very sorry. Eat the soup and try to sleep. I’ll stay here and you can call me if you need anything, is that okay?”

“You really don’t need to.”

“It’s not a problem. I brought my laptop, and a book. I won’t be bored.”

She nodded. “Okay, thank you.”

James was there every time she woke that day providing her with tea, water, and some meds. Once he brought her a plate full of bananas and oranges.

When she woke up in the morning he wasn’t there, but there was a piece of paper on her bedside table. He scribbled on it that he’d left for classes, but he would be back around two. There was also his number, so she would be able to call if anything happened. Next to it stood a still warm cup of tea and a plate, but this time with oranges only. Rose smiled and took one piece.

Quarter past two there was a knock on the door and Rose stood to open. James stood there with a bag full of bananas.

“That’s a lot of bananas.” Rose remarked.

“Bananas are good, Rose Tyler. Full of potassium.”

“I thought you brought some with you yesterday?”

“Yeah, but I gave you one last night and then... I ate the others?” He smiled sheepishly.

Rose laughed. “You know, I’m probably very sick, because you don’t seem to be as annoying as usual. You are quite bearable.”

He grinned at her. “I’m always like this, Rose. You just didn’t give me a chance.”

“Well, maybe you didn’t give it to me with your constant talking.”

He stuck his tongue out at her. “How are you feeling?”

“Better than yesterday. My throat still hurts, but the head feels better.”

“I’ll make you more soup.”

They continued like this for two more days. James came after classes and prepared tea and food. They talked a lot, surprisingly without arguing. James learned that studying art had been Rose’s dream since she was six and got her first art kit, that she had a small brother named Tony, who loves drawing with her, and that she would love to travel, that’s why she decided to study in Scotland instead of London.

Rose, however, found out that James studies physics and history simultaneously, and was interested in a lot of things, that’s why he took history of art classes with her. He had a twin sister, Donna, who got the ginger hair he would love to have. James also told her that he’d been writing since he was ten. First some childish stories, then some plays and a few novels. He ever published one.

“You think you are so impressive.”

“I am impressive, Rose.”

____

Rose appeared at the rehearsal the day before the premiere.

“You think you’ll be able to play tomorrow?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. James took care of me.” Rose smiled. “We agreed to play with the few changes you approved of. James promised he would not change anything else today, right?”

James nodded.

“Okay, let’s do it then.”

The play went brilliantly. There were no mistakes, people laughed and, apparently, had fun.

James did change one thing, though. There was meant to be a hug between the two characters played by Rose and James at the end of the play. He, however, came to Rose and kissed her. After the initial surprise she kissed him back. That earned them a standing ovation.

“It wasn’t scripted, you muppet.” She hit him playfully on the chest.

“Please Rose, can you finally accept that I’m a brilliant scriptwriter?” He grinned at her. “Shall we rehearse it again?”


End file.
